Count Danny Ferry among those who deem the Hawks’ season a success.
The general manager spoke Wednesday, four days after his team was eliminated in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by a Game 7 loss to the Pacers. Ferry expressed disappointment in the playoff results, particularly Games 4 and 6, when the Hawks could have taken a 3-1 lead and could have eliminated the Pacers, respectively. However, overall he said there were positives from the recently completed season.
- First-year coach Mike Budenholzer established himself and an unselfish style of play.
- The offensive and defensive systems are in place, and next training camp won't be focused on terminology but rather real work.
- Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap excelled and coach and players were competitive in a playoff atmosphere.
- Born from numerous injuries came opportunities for players such as Mike Scott and Shelvin Mack, who Ferry mentioned by name, and they proved themselves.
- Metro Atlanta rallied behind the Hawks with three playoff sellouts and raucous crowds noticed by players.
“That is good for us long term,” Ferry said. “So there were a lot of positives that I would feel this was successful as a year. But there is a lot of work, and we look forward to finding every possible way and looking as comprehensively as we can to put ourselves (in position) to make good decisions and take appropriate risks.”
The roster will evolve this offseason. The Hawks have 10 players under contract for next season. Nine are signed, and the team likely will pick up the contract of Pero Antic, which becomes guaranteed July 15. Last season the team went into the summer with only four players under contract.
The Hawks hold the No. 15 and No. 43 picks in the NBA draft June 26. Ferry said he believes, if the Hawks keep the selections, “we can get a player at 15 that absolutely can be a good player and be an NBA player.”
The trade remains a tool that will be considered.
There are decisions to make about their own free agents. Elton Brand and Cartier Martin are unrestricted. Scott, Mack and Gustavo Ayon are restricted free agents, giving the Hawks the right to match an offer from another team.
The Hawks will have more than $10 million in salary-cap space for the free-agent market and the draft.
Ferry was non-committal on an offseason wish list. He said the current fluidity of available players in both the draft and free agency makes it difficult this early in the summer to develop a concrete plan.
“We can absolutely continue to add to what we are doing,” Ferry said. “Every team is going to want to add more size, more length, more athleticism, more shooting. We are in line with that. What is nice in establishing how you want to play (is) you can more clearly define what fits for you and for our group. We’ll try to find guys who fit in to how we want to play and how we want to work every day.”
Etc.: The Hawks, according to the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, cannot extend the contracts of Millsap or DeMarre Carroll. Each signed a two-year contract and will go to free agency in 2015. The Hawks are free to negotiate with them at that point. Only players who signed four- or five-year contracts are eligible for extensions. … Unless an assistant coach leaves for a head coaching position, the Hawks expect to have Budenholzer's entire staff back next season. … Ferry received one second-place vote in balloting for the NBA's Executive of the Year. Spurs' general manager R.C. Buford, Ferry's old boss, won the award as voted on by league executives.
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